Dry Eye in Perimenopause

More than Meets the Eye

Are your eyes burning, itching, tearing, gritty feeling, stinging ... all at once?

If so, join the 3.2 million U.S. women suffering with an eye problem related to hormonal changes of menopause -- dry eyes.

Most women have no clue that their eye problems are related to their hormones. I sure didn't. All I knew was that I had a heck of a time with excessive tearing, feeling like there was gravel in my eye, and some itching and burning.

You have to go to the doctor, as always, to rule out other conditions (such as Lupus, diabete, and even allergies). But if you notice these symptoms as you move into your late 40s and 50s, there's very good chance that it's dry eye.

Dr. Jeffrey P. Gilbard, of the Department of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School said, "If somebody has sandy, gritty irritation of a foreign body sensation that has been around for more than three months and gets worse as the day goes on, they have dry eye until proven otherwise."

By the way, watery eyes are definitely a symptom of dry eyes, strange as that may sound. When they eyes are really dry, the become irritated, which causes reactive tearing.

Tips for Relief

• Keep the fans off - Wind can irritate the eyes. Even while sleeping, a fan blowing on you can dry out your eyes, so you wake up with the lids all gluey.
• Increase omega-3 fatty acids - There is evidence that this fat, found in fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon, help treat dry eye.
• Limit contact lens use or at least remove them frequently.
• Some medications can aggravate the condition. Check with your doctor if the symptoms worsen when you take the medicine.
• There are treatments, medication, and drops that may provide relief.

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